John Terry: Captain, Leader, Legend… or Mr Controversy?

To Chelsea, John Terry will always be the ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’. He was their player – the lone survivor of a youth system that is no longer recognisable, churning out loan fodder for profit.

He was one of the best central defenders in the modern Premier League. In fact, Blues fans have a strong case to say he’s the greatest ever.

His trophy cabinet doesn’t lie. Four Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, one Champions League and a Europa League are the rewards for a captain who evolved from kid to man at Stamford Bridge – leading a bunch of incredible players to honours during his 19-year stay.

Now it’s entered the final chapter. It’s admirable that Terry's stayed put (although he would have been mad to leave given their success under Roman Abramovich) and bows out in the hearts of Chelsea fans forever.

To the outsider, John Terry will be remembered for altogether different reasons.

His past is unavoidable. We’ve all got to live with our demons – and his have been exposed and chewed over in the public sphere for years due to his elevated status.

The Anton Ferdinand racism row was a disgrace and will permanently stain him. The Wayne Bridge allegations, which he has long denied, also did little for his character. But the worst thing about that second incident was the Chelsea fans booing Bridge, turning the alleged victim into the guilty party.

And that’s part of the problem. Terry is far easier to loathe due to his association with a select group of supporters who have consistently overlooked – and sometimes celebrated – his sins. He didn’t do anything wrong as a footballer, he wasn’t disrespectful to the badge, so the incidents were glossed over within the club's circle.

Some fans think the benchmark for turning against one of their own players is murder, with their ignorance only increasing the negativity towards Terry from outside the club. Sure, there were probably many Chelsea fans left with a bad taste in the mouth over his transgressions, but it’s far easier to stay quiet and support the team while Terry was doing a good job.

We’ve got to remember John Terry the young adult was very different…

I remember him from my days managing Chelmsford City in the early 2000s. His best friend at the time, Paul Nicholls, was my goalkeeper so Terry used to watch us play. He quickly became a hero to a lot of people at the club, with him regularly spotted playing football with youngsters on the sidelines or attending the occasional team dinner. He became entwined with the club and we saw a side to him that is seldom seen nowadays.

He was doing that at 21, 22 – and he really had something about him. But then he was forced to grow up at Chelsea, perhaps too quickly, as he became captain and forged his fiery leadership skills. He went onto become Mr Chelsea Football Club, but perhaps he lost a bit of himself in the process.

When Kurt Zouma was drafted in for Marcos Alonso ahead of the clash with Manchester United, it was probably the moment Terry said enough is enough. Chelsea fans would have viewed the snub as disgraceful, given victory would have practically sewn up the Premier League title and they needed leaders on the field against wily Jose Mourinho.

But Antonio Conte opted for inexperience. I wonder how many players in the dressing room prior to kick-off thought ‘Wow, we’ve lost a chink of our indestructibility’? Terry might have made the difference. Sure, he would have struggled with the pace of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, but equally he had the know-how to marshal the duo, who would have had far more respect for him than Zouma.

So although the timing is strange, and perhaps a little selfish, missing out at Old Trafford was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Does Terry want to play for a mediocre Premier League side just for the sake of playing? Personally, I think he’s still got the hunger to play with the best players and challenge for trophies and if he can't do that, I can see him potentially heading abroad. Ultimately, it’s a tough call and depends what is on the table in the summer.

After his swansong season(s), it wouldn’t surprise me if he wanted to go into management. There will obviously be talk of him returning to Chelsea, perhaps working in the academy like Steven Gerrard.

But managing Chelsea? Abramovich doesn’t deal in sentiment and even if he did, would Terry really want to take charge at Stamford Bridge one day? The fans adore him and we’ve seen too many great players return to their clubs and unravel their legacies.

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